Tesla recently posted a Facebook photo of Model S under a 💯 emoji, prompting speculation that the company is preparing to release the car with its most powerful battery option yet: 100 kWh.
Tech Insider reached out to a Tesla spokesperson asking if the Facebook post is teasing that a 100 kWh battery is on the way.
"Nope. Just the emoji that means 100%," the spokesperson replied. When asked if that meant there is no 100 kWh battery on the way, the same spokesperson said, "We are not announcing a new battery and we don't comment on rumor or speculation."
The Tesla spokesperson has since emailed back the following statement: "Regarding the 100kWh battery question: We have no announcement, nor do we comment on rumor and speculation."
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It's a fairly subtle change, but one worth noting. Instead of stating that Tesla is "not announcing a new battery," the spokesperson said "we have no announcement." That leaves room for Tesla to announce a 100 kWh battery option down the road. The former statement closed the door on any kind of announcement, the latter shows there's no announcement at this time.
So what could that Facebook post mean? The spokesperson also said: "Remember, Model S is also 💯 electric, scored 💯 from Consumer Reports and so on."
Rumors about a more powerful battery option started circulating when a hacker found a mention of a P100D in the software that runs the cars in March. Currently the most powerful Tesla Model S on the market is the P90D — named for its 90 kWh battery that provides a 253-mile range. A 100 kWh battery would be able to extend the range a lot.
The prevailing thought has been if the P90D is named for its 90 kWh battery, then it's reasonable to assume a P100D would mean a 100 kWh battery is in the works.
So when Tesla posted a Facebook photo of a Tesla under a painted 💯 emoji, people started getting amped for a new battery announcement, as Electrek reported.
It looks like we shouldn't expect an announcement anytime soon, but the door isn't closed on a more powerful Model S.
